KANSAS CITY — From hero to zero.
Robinson Cano’s defense of his 2011 Home Run Derby crown, an honor over which no well-functioning adult could possibly generate any emotion, crashed and burned last night at Kauffman Stadium. The Yankees second baseman, riddled with boos by the hometown fans, didn’t hit a single home run before recording 10 “outs” (non-homers) and bowing out in embarrassing fashion.
The Tigers’ Prince Fielder, one of Cano’s selections as the American League captain, won the title (he also won with the Brewers in 2009 in St. Louis) by defeating the Blue Jays’ Jose Bautista in the final.
“It doesn’t bother me at all,” Cano said of his rough treatment and rough performance. “This is for the fans. That’s what they feel like.”
Cano became the target of Kansas City fans, who actually cared about this interminable event, because he neglected to invite Royals designated hitter Billy Butler to join his squad. Instead, Cano went with the finalists Fielder and Bautista as well as the Angels’ Mark Trumbo.
GRADE THE YANKEES AT THE BREAK
With his father, former major league pitcher Jose Cano, throwing to him, Cano hit the wall three times, twice to right field and once to left. With each out, the crowd increased the volume of its jubilation. When Cano hit eight outs, Yankees teammates Curtis Granderson and CC Sabathia tried a “mound visit,” trying to settle down both father and son.
It didn’t work. Two more outs, and Cano was done for the night, earning a rousing ovation.
Cano insisted his goose egg didn’t result from the boos, but from fatigue. After playing in Sunday night’s Yankees-Red Sox game at Fenway Park, he didn’t arrive at Kauffman Stadium until about 5 a.m. yesterday.
“The boos didn’t bother him,” Jose Cano said. “He was tired.’’
Butler, watching the event on the field, received a huge ovation whenever he appeared on the large video board. He refused to criticize his fans for getting on Cano’s case, saying, “Robby’s a professional. He handled it like a professional. It’s just part of the game.”
Asked whether he was upset not to be selected for the Derby, Butler responded, “I’m not upset at all. I was happy to be out there. I had a great time. It was awesome.”
Agreed Cano: “I had fun. It’s great to see the guys. You’re not going to be the hero all of the time.”
He had no regrets about not selecting Butler, Cano said. Because he had to lock in his team about a week before the All-Star teams were announced, he said, he couldn’t commit to Butler because he wasn’t certain he would make the team. He also noted he passed on hitters such as the White Sox’s Adam Dunn (who has 25 homers for the season) and the Blue Jays’ Edwin Encarnacion (23) who had more homers than Butler’s 16.
Cano became the 17th Derby participant to go homerless, and the first since the Tigers’ Brandon Inge in 2009. He is the first member of the Yankees to register a goose egg.
“You do your job or not,” Cano said. “It’s not the only time I’m going to fail.”